"With standard and heavy duty foil, it's perfectly fine to place your food on either side so you can decide if you prefer to have the shiny or dull side facing out," according to the Reynold's website.
The Bottom Line
When using standard or heavy-duty foil, you can use either side, shiny or dull. The difference in appearance is due to the manufacturing process and doesn't affect how you use the foil.
The non-stick side is the side with the dull or flat finish. To help indicate which side is non-stick the foil has been imprinted with the words "NON-STICK Side."
A SIMPLE experiment will show that - contrary to Joyce Masse's suggestion - the dull side of aluminium foil reflects as much heat as the shiny side. Turn your kitchen grill fully on and place your hand by the side of the grill out of direct line of sight of the element.
With standard and heavy duty foil, it's perfectly fine to place your food on either side so you can decide if you prefer to have the shiny or dull side facing out. For Reynolds Wrap® Non-Stick Aluminum Foil, you'll want to have the dull side facing up.
A: The matte side is where you would apply the color or lightener. The shiny side always faces out, to help warm up the foils.
Safe Practices For Wrapping Food In Tinfoil
Use aluminum foil primarily for short-term storage. Avoid wrapping acidic or salty foods directly in foil; consider using glass or BPA-free containers instead. For longer storage, use foil with an airtight container or plastic wrap.
Fun fact. Both sides are just as reflective as each other. The difference is that one reflects light and heat in the same direction like a mirror, while the other reflects it in random directions (technical term is random scatter). So no, no difference.
Tin foil is stiffer than aluminum foil. It tends to give a slight tin taste to food wrapped in it, which is a major reason it has largely been replaced by aluminum and other materials for wrapping food.
Coating the dull side of aluminum foil with oil or cooking spray forms a protective barrier, preventing food from sticking and ensuring hassle-free cooking.
Cover Dishes Properly: Ensure that aluminum foil covers the entire dish but does not touch the oven walls or heating elements. This helps prevent electrical issues or fire hazards. Avoid Full Rack Coverage: Completely covering an oven rack with aluminum foil can block airflow and cause uneven cooking.
Covered baking typically requires a longer cooking time due to the slower heat transfer.
Foil has a shiny side and a dull side because of how it is manufactured. Unless you are using foil that's labeled non-stick, which does have a non-stick side, it does not matter what side you use. Both the shiny and dull sides can be used the same way to cook, freeze, and store food.
It keeps the heat within; processes bleach faster and when closed tight pushes pigment deeper into the hair. Foils allow a colorist to apply and isolate multiple hair colors on the same client for a distinct colorful look without the fear of colors running into one another and mudding out the finished look.
So, any time you use a single side foil insulation, the foil needs to be facing toward the living space. So in a loft the foil faces downward.
Do not ever use parchment or wax paper in the broiler. Despite its heat resistance, parchment paper can't handle the heat of any broiler, which can reach temperatures upward of 500°F. And wax paper? It should never come near the high heat of the oven or broiler.
surefresh Non-Stick Parchment Paper, 25-ft.
Parchment paper can definitely be used in the microwave and works great for preventing messes. "To reheat foods in the microwave, place a small sheet of parchment paper over foods in order to eliminate splatters and avoid messy cleanup," says Brown.